“I've written short stories in first person, but you have so much more control writing in third person. Third person, you know what everybody's thinking. First person is very limiting, and I could never sustain a first person novel before.” ThinkingKnowsWritingFirstsPersonsStoriesNovelWrittenThirdsShort StoryFirst PersonThird PersonThinking First Author:Tamora Pierce
“It can take years. With the first draft, I just write everything. With the second draft, it becomes so depressing for me, because I realize that I was fooled into thinking I'd written the story. I hadn't-I had just typed for a long time. So then I have to carve out a story from the 25 or so pages. It's in there somewhere-but I have to find it. I'll then write a third, fourth, and fifth draft, and so on.” ThinkingWritingYearsFirstsLongStoriesRealizingWrittenPagesLong TimeThirdsFourthDepressingFifthFooled Author:David Sedaris
“It's one of the things writing students don't understand. They write a first draft and are quite disappointed, or often should be disappointed. They don't understand that they have merely begun, and that they may be merely beginning even in the second or third draft.” ShouldWritingFirstsMayStudentsThirdsDisappointed Author:Elizabeth Hardwick
“I seem to write an opera about every 20 years; if you live long enough you can write four operas. I finished my third in 1970.” IfsWritingYearsLongEnoughSeemsFourThirdsFinishedOpera Author:Virgil Thomson
“These others -- the overwhelming majority of Iraq's people -- have repeatedly given every indication of valuing their newfound freedom: voting in two elections at the risk of their lives, preparing for a third, writing and ratifying a constitution granting more freedoms than exist in any country in the entire Arab Middle East. The secret is out, There is something decent unfolding in Iraq. It's unfolding in the shadow of a terrible insurgency, but a society is finding its way to constitutional politics.” PeopleWayWritingTwoCountryGivenSecretRiskMiddleTerribleFindingsShadowThirdsConstitutionElectionMajorityIraqEastDecentVotingOverwhelmingMiddle EastPreparingIndicationUnfoldingInsurgency Author:Fouad Ajami
“When I'm writing for a book, it's much more reflective process. I have certain things that may not translate well to the stage, but, when they're on the page, people can really get into them. My first two books were aiming to be funnier, but the third was more about deep exploration. Things about being a parent and growing older that I thought would be perfect for a book.” PeopleWritingFirstsWellsMayTwoBookWould BeCertainProcessParentPerfectGrowingStagePagesThirdsExplorationTranslateGrowing OldBeing A ParentGrowing Older Author:Paul Reiser
“When I go beyond a certain range it's outside of my direct horizon therefore I've got to rely on the writings and personal communications given to me by other people that I know.... I've got to try to piece together some tentative information picture of what the whole thing is like, but I'm aware that it becomes more and more speculative as it becomes more and more second, third, fourth hand. And this applies to absolutely everyone.” PeopleKnowsWritingTryingWholeHandsTogetherCertainGivenPiecesInformationCommunicationDirectThirdsRangeRelyHorizonFourth Author:R. D. Laing